The College of Saint Rose presents Premiere Performances III

In our ongoing effort to promote and reach out to up-and-coming jazz greats, the Massry Center for the Arts is proud to present two of the Capital Region’s finest jazz ensembles in one spectacular performance.

The evening begins with the Brian Patneaude Quartet. Repeatedly cited as “Best Jazz” by Metroland magazine, the Quartet is one of the busiest ensembles in New York’s Capital District. The group has performed at the Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival, the Kingston International Jazz Festival and numerous clubs and concert halls throughout the Northeast. Their music is an organic blend of modern jazz styles, featuring accessible melodies and harmonic textures that appeal to the casual listener and the jazz aficionado alike.

To finish out the evening the Sketches of Influence will present a CD Release Event featuring selections from their upcoming release Blowin’ it Out! A five piece jazz ensemble comprised of some of New York’s finest jazz musicians including Joe Magnarelli (trumpet), Jon Gordon (alto/soprano saxophone), Theo Hill (piano), Lou Smaldone (acoustic bass), Joe Barna (drummer/composer/musical director) and a special guest (to be announced) round-out the lineup. The Sketches of Influence concept is to play beautiful, exciting and accessible original jazz compositions while maintaining the integrity of the pioneers of jazz, both past and present, ensuring the entire audience is tapping their toes to their infectious tunes.

THE LOCAL HERO AWARD (Venue Division)… to MASSRY CENTER FOR THE ARTS – Put simply, College of Saint Rose “gets it!” While some venues focused on acts with more “potential drawing power”, CSR staged a stream of powerful – and sold-out – jazz shows throughout the year, including a tremendous homecoming by Stefon Harris, a great CD-release party for Brian Patneaude’s disc Riverview… and another show we’ll talk about later. Click here to read more on J Hunters Top Five Concerts 2009...